Riverdale actor Ryan Grantham sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to killing his mum
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Riverdale actor Ryan Grantham has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing his mum.
The former child actor, now 24, was known for his role in the popular teen series, as well as participating in shows such as Supernatural and iZombie.
Earlier this year, the Canadian actor went to trial after fatally shooting his mother in the head, where a court heard how he also plotted to kill prime minister Justin Trudeau.
After pleading guilty, Grantham was charged with second-degree murder for the killing of his parent, Barbara Waite.
During the sentencing this week, BC Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Ker gave Grantham life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first 14 years of his sentence.
After the verdict, his lawyer Chris Johnson said: “It was, I think, the lowest possible [sentence] we could expect given the circumstances.”
He added: “There’s a lot of aspects to the case that are more equivalent to first degree [murder] than they are with second degree.”
Earlier on in the court case, grisly details of the murder revealed that Grantham had appeared to rehearse the killing in the days leading up to it.
On the day, he is said to have loaded and unloaded the gun numerous times before approaching the unsuspecting 64-year-old with the weapon at their Squamish home in March 2020.
Crown prosecutor Michaela Donnelly said: “He put the crosshairs on the back of her head, closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.”
His sister Lisa, who found the body of their mum, told the court of the devastating impact the incident has had.
She said: “How can I trust anybody when my only sibling chose to execute my mom when her back was turned?”
The actor had also plotted to kill Justin
The next day, the child star is reported to have loaded his car with guns, ammunition and Molotov cocktails, as well as camping supplies and a map with directions to the PM’s residence, Rideau Cottage.
Grantham mentioned his plans to kill Trudeau in his statement to authorities, as well as in his journal, excerpts of which were read out in court. He was said to have had second thoughts about the plan.
